Alan Pardew is allowed to contact his bench at Craven Cottage today despite being banned from the stadium.
The Newcastle United manager admitted this week he wasn’t fully aware of all the rules regarding his FA punishment, apart from the fact this afternoon’s Premier League match at Fulham is his first of a three-match ban before the four-game touchline ban comes into play.
Pardew claimed he would not attempt to contact John Carver during the match, preferring to keep out of the way altogether.
However, he would be allowed to do just that because the FA admit they couldn’t police it.
Pardew will watch the match at the team’s hotel where he will deliver his team talk at noon before the players travel across London to face struggling Fulham.
The temptation to contact anyone on the touchline during the 90 minutes, or at half-time, might prove too much for the manager, even if he is trying to turn over a new leaf and take himself out of the front lone action.